Tires are recyclable, so you simply have to find a place that accepts old tires for free or a nominal charge. Some consumers run into the problem of tire shops not wanting to accept and recycle tires not originally purchased from them. That’s not the case at the TireZoo!

We help you by accepting and properly disposing of old tires for a small fee. Old tires brought the the TireZoo in Anoka or Bloomington are picked up by a truck, transported to Green Man, ground up, and recycled into other products.

You can use your regular wheels and swap tires at the beginning and end of the season, or

You can have a separate set of wheels and tires that you swap out.

Buy 3 used snow tires, and get one free today! We’re here to help you find what you need, save money, and be safe on the road. Click on the links above for a Google Map to either of our locations in the Twin Cities-Metro area. *No appointments necessary. Just stop in.

Deer & Other Wildlife

It’s hunting season and there are unique driving risks in Minnesota due to everything from turkeys and pheasants to deer and coyotes being on the move. In addition to being hunted, their feeding and hiding grounds (corn fields) are being harvested which forces them to move. Be alert at all times. Make sure your tires, brakes, and headlights are in great condition.

Rain Storms & Wet Roads

There’s a saying in Minnesota: If you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes and it will change. Rain storms and wet roads are part of driving during the season, and you will want to make sure your tires have proper tread to handle the wet roads. When it’s raining, poor tread can cause your car or truck to slide across the road with little to no traction; something you want to avoid!

Sporadic Frost and Snow

Frost is something that greets Minnesotans most mornings during autumn. The moisture in the air and the falling temps means slicks spots on the road. A sporadic and surprise dusting of snow can happen at anytime, and you’ll want to be prepared and stay vigilant, especially in the early morning hours and late into the evening.

Field Harvest Season

You’ll be sharing the road with weary farmers and truck drivers hauling straw, hay, equipment, and trailers full of grain. Tractors and combines are slow moving, so slow down and give them your patience. Watch for clumps of mud on the roadway, as well as cobs of corn or sugar beets that accidentally spill over. There are also wide loads like hay and combines with wide corn snouts. Be careful meeting them on the road, as well as passing.

With new tires offering the utmost most in quality, condition, and longevity, is there a reason to buy used tires? Of course! Quality used tires, like the ones the TireZoo stocks, serve a purpose for thousands of our customers. There’s a long list of reasons to consider buying used tires, so we thought we’d share some of the reasons our customers have stopped by for used tires and what they have to say.

Cost of Used Tires Compared to New Tires: When you get down to it, cost is a factor for many families on a budget. Quality used tires with plenty of tread life left are a good option for those who can’t afford new tires at this time.

Only Need One Tire: Sometimes you don’t need to replace all your tires. Maybe you just purchased a set of new tires, but had a blow out on one tires. The TireZoo can help you match your existing tires with a used tire so you don’t have to replace all four.

I just bought used tires for the first time in my life, and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing.

Vehicle is Ready to Expire: If you’re driving an old beater, then chances are you’re doing so to get the most out of your initial investment. You aren’t interested in sinking money into a new set of tires, and you doing have to. Used tires are a great option for a high mileage vehicle.

A Lease Situation: If you don’t own your vehicle, but rather are leasing one, used tires can be great solution. If your leased vehicle is due in the next couple months and the tires are worn, we can help you find tires that will pass lease inspection.

Front-End Issues: Front end issues can be costly, and maybe you can’t afford the repairs right now. Putting the extra wear and tear on used tires is better than on a new set that you’ll need to replace too soon.

Hard on Tires: Maybe you have teen drivers that are hard on your tires, or you work in an industry where driving over a nails is common. If you’re hard on tires and end up blowing them out before the tread wears out, used tires are a viable option.

Save money: Many times we have “like new” take off sets, and people just want to save money. Why not?

My son’s minor mishap bouncing off a curb caused rim and wheel damage. I was VERY pleased with the repair costs and service from your Bloomington facility. It was one of those times I was stressed yet couldn’t have been happier with my experience with you.

Did you know? The Tire Zoo offers a 30 day warranty on all used tires. If buying quality used tires meets your needs, then experience the savings at the TireZoo!

By October many of our customers are stopping by to have winter tires (also called snow tires) put on their vehicles. If you’re familiar with winter tires, then you’re probably used to this seasonal task. If you’re less familiar with winter tires, you may be wondering what they are and why you’d switch to them for the winter months.

New to the Idea of swapping out Tires?

Many people have vehicles that have tires that usually suffice in the winter. Depending on where you live, the type of driving you do, and your vehicle, your all season tires are designed to handle a wide range of uses and may suffice. But, all season tires are not the same as winter tires. All season tires are popular in the US, likely because many areas of the country can get by with them year round.

However, Minnesota is not your average, moderate climate state. We have extremely hot and humid summers, and we have erratic winters and storms. When you use an all season tire, that was designed to be a compromise of desired tire properties, you’re getting just that; a compromise. It’s comparable to buying a nice fleece jacket that works well in all seasons for MOST parts of the country. A fleece jacket isn’t going to cut it on a 30 degree below zero day in January with a 40 mile per hour north wind gust. Some vehicles that have 60 series tires or less should have four snow tires put on for better driving in winter conditions; stop in and have a conversation with us. You can’t expect a tire to optimally handle snow, slush, and ice when it wasn’t designed to do that. Winter tires are your best choice for traction and control of your vehicle. It’s not advisable that you use them year-round, however, and will need to switch back to your all season tires or previous “warmer season” tires.

We typically recommend Nitto snow tires because of their tread design and affordable pricing. When winter tires makes sense for you and your vehicle, you have two options. You can use your regular wheels and swap tires at the beginning and end of the season, or you can have a separate set of wheels and tires that you swap out. Either way, you want to make sure you properly store your tires when they are not on your vehicle. You want them protected from corrosion, and our tire technicians can give you tips to get the most out of your tires.

Not sure what this means, stop by and we can help you decide if winter tires are right for you and your vehicle.

Tire Technician Jobs Available

Now hiring full-time Tire Technicians at both our Anoka and Bloomington locations. Our company has been in business over 30 years and offers a great opportunity to be a part of an established team. If you’re looking to learn new skills, we want to hear from you. Experienced tire technicians encouraged to apply. Paid vacation time. Pay is based on experience and starts at $10/hour. Be a part of our growing tire business! Apply by November 1, 2018

Sales Associates Jobs Available

Now hiring full-time Sales Associates for our growing tire business at both our Anoka and Bloomington locations. Paid vacation time. Pay is based on experience and is negotiable. If this opportunity interests you and you have sales experience, we want to talk to you. Excellent sales career opportunity with established tire company that has been a part of the metro area for over 30 years. Apply by November 1, 2018

Learn more about the TireZoo

The TireZoo began in a small garage as a home based business in Bloomington, MN by Dan Wilkerson in 1979. A few years later Dan moved into a store front in Bloomington and hired his first employee. They were known as All Season Tire Co, and still are by many devoted customers.

The company grew, more employees were added, and their line of new and used tires expanded exponentially. In June of 1995 they opened their second location in Anoka, MN (also known to locals as Anoka Tire), and began helping people from as far away as Canada!

With the launch of their website TireZoo.com, their name TireZoo took shape and well, it’s just plain catchy! What makes the TireZoo Crew so intriguing is their interest in reaching out to customers and doing what it takes to save them money on tires and provide excellent service.

Their impressive inventory of new and used tires is the largest you’ll find. They sell many brands of new tires, wheels, and rims; yet have no corporate restraints, so they are able to offer used tires and other products and services their customers need – at incredibly affordable prices. The Tire Zoo will make sure you get what you need, help you put your tires on your vehicle, and take the time to answer all your questions.

They are the most accessible and friendly tire people you’ll find. We hope you’ll consider joining our team!

Carpooling to and from school and activities is a popular choice for saving time and money. Other reasons to carpool include saving on the environment. It can be a viable option for some people without good busing or who deal with unsafe walking/biking to school areas. If you are new to carpooling, these tips will make it less stressful. If you are a seasoned carpool driver, please leave your tips on our Facebook page.

We’ve created some fun car related birthday party games and activities that are simple and inexpensive. These car games will be appealing to young kids having a car themed birthday party, or simply at the right age to play party games that are a little different from the same ones they’ve played at previous parties.

Car Party Games

Icy Roads

If it’s a warm day, this is a great game for outside. Otherwise, you may want to limit this game to the kitchen or laundry room and be creative on how to contain the melting ice.

Prep: Freeze a small car in a (small) block of ice using a small Tupperware container, yogurt container, etc. Let each child use his or her creativity on how to get the ice to melt. Or you may choose to start this game and allow it to be an ongoing game throughout the party, checking on the progress of the melting cars. Another variation could simply be to “guess how long it takes to melt” and have kids put their guesses in a bowl and choose the closest estimate later.

Object: The object of the game is to be the first to melt the ice around the car, get it thawed enough to race it on a given track or area to “win”. If you’d rather not have a “winner”, then have the object to get every to the “Finish” line.

Traffic Jam

This is a fun game that doesn’t need to have a designated winner, but will get kids really excited. The added “plus” of this game is the thinking and problem solving skills needed to play. It can be tailored for any age, depending on how complex your instructions are made.

Prep: Gather a bunch of matchbox cars, vehicle related toys, travel items, etc and place in large, unstructured pile in the middle of the floor.

To play: The kids will sit in a circle around the pile. You will read off a pre-written description of an item they need to find in the pile. Example: A Red Truck, A Chevy, Four Doors, Hatchback, Tow Hitch, etc. There may be more than one item that fits the description. Each child only needs to find one item. Give them a little time, and then tell them to return the items to the pile and listen carefully for the next instruction.

Make it More Difficult: Add more items, even unrelated like socks, plastic containers, etc, so that it isn’t as easy to find what they are looking for and/or make your instructions more detailed.

Mystery Travel Game

This is a remake of an age old favorite where kids have to reach in a paper lunch bag without looking and try to figure out the item inside by touch.

There isn’t always a way to prevent a tire blowout, but on the other hand there are quite a few things you can do to improve your chances of dealing with an untimely summertime tire blowout.

The best place to start is understanding why some tire blowouts happen. According to Popular Mechanics, “tire-blowout season runs from roughly the middle of May through early October.” The reason why more blowouts happen in the summertime than other times of the year have to do with

Hot climates; Minnesota can be plenty hot and humid in the summer, as well as many other parts of the upper Midwest.

More travel, Longer Travel; More motorists traveling farther. More people on the roads for longer periods of time and farther destinations simply translates to higher number of tire related issues.

Towing increases: Many people are hauling heavy items such as boats, campers, landscaping trailers, etc. Industrial and road construction projects send large rigs around the country hauling aggregate and heavy equipment. It’s no wonder we see shredded tires along the side of the road so often!

So what can you do to prevent a tire blowout?

There are things you can do to improve your chances of avoiding a tire blowout this summer.

Are your driving habits kind to your tires? Do you drive carefully and slowly so you don’t hit the curb at an odd angle when parking? Do you slow down around potholes and other obstructions? Are you paying attention to slow and avoid debris in the road whenever possible?

Do you know what your vehicle tire’s specific inflation amount is?

Have you checked your tire pressure when the tires are not warm, but cool?

Have you looked over your tires for any issues such as cracking, bulging, unusual wear?

Are you overloading your vehicle? Are you hauling too much weight inside the vehicle, trunk, or pick-up bed?

Are you giving your tires and vehicle proper and timely maintenance? Making sure your tires are balanced and rotated, as well as other issues are addressed that can cause uneven wear or stress on your tires is important.

Is there enough tread left on your tires? Do you know how to tell?

If you have concerns about the quality and safety of your tires, stop in so we can have a look. The time to address tire issues is before you head out on the road this summer.